free fall
by MedusaOfTheSpecies
Summary: Below them, she can hear screaming but it doesn't matter. Hogwarts will never forget her or Katie or Angelina ever again. :: Or, Alicia/Katie/Angelina, rewriting Quidditch and the world's opinion of them. :: For Sapphic September Day 10.


**free fall**

 _i._

It all starts the day Katie shows up at tryouts with a wand stuck into her messy braid, her robes unironed, and a devilish grin against her peach skin.

"Are you here to try out?" Bill Weasley asks, looking more fascinated then like a concerned captain.

Katie grins with all her teeth, bright and unburdened. "I'm just here to join the Gryffindor team, actually."

Alicia doesn't have a lot of friends. She doesn't take it personally, but that's the way she's always liked it. It's just her and her wand and her broom, but Katie beelines towards her. "What's a girl got to do around here to dazzle?" she whispers and Alicia nods her direction, staying silent.

When it's her turn, Alicia scores all five of her shots on the Keeper, who looks vaguely terrified. Katie scores five too. Alicia counts every single one of them, and only when Katie is done, Alicia approaches her.

"We need to be twice as good," Alicia says. Katie raises a confused eyebrow. "You asked how to dazzle, after all."

Katie doesn't get the chance to answer because the third chaser, Angelina Johnson swoops in. "Girls! You were incredible!" Before Alicia can react, she finds herself swept into a hug.

After that, everything changes. Alicia is part of a trio now, in more ways than one. It's hard to adjust to that, except for when it isn't.

 **...**

 _ii._

One of the things that come with giving up her loneliness, Alicia finds, is that she is forced to deal with the reality that she is not the only girl who wants to climb out of her own skin in frustration most days.

"I'm only a fourth year and my mom already wishes I was a housewife," Angelina complains, her transfiguration textbook abandoned beside her. "Are you parents like that too?"

Katie smiles, but her eyes are shadowed. "My mom gave up on me a while ago, says I'm not charming or pretty enough to secure a match important enough to waste her time on. You should take a page out of my book."

Alicia pretends to be reading her Potions textbook and tries not to scowl. Katie is the most charming girl she's ever met, and Angelina is destined for so much more than sitting at home with children who were forced on her by a cruel society.

"You're prettier then I am, but it doesn't matter. Nobody will take us seriously anyway… unless we can change that," Alicia tells them both.

Angelina leans forwards as Katie claps her hands in excitement, eyes glittering. "How?"

Taking a deep breath, Alicia begins to speak. It's a stupid, dangerous, and downright foolish plan, but they're going to try it anyways.

 **…**

 _iii._

"How ya doing?" Katie drawls as Alicia approaches the Quidditch pitch for their game against Ravenclaw.

Alicia nods at her, trying to calm the nerves in her stomach. "Good, how are you?"

Katie winks. "Just trying not to stare."

Angelina laughs from beside her as Alicia scowls, rubbing at her brown goggles. They're ridiculous looking and old, but for their intentions today, she needs them as a safety precaution and it was too late to find anything else.

That's what Alicia focuses on as they get into position to play. Beside her, Angelina touches her shoulder lightly. "Be careful," she whispers and Alicia blushes at both her attention and her concern.

This year, Ravenclaw is the team to beat. Their players are both intelligent and vicious, adopting a strategy of cutting through the air at angles so dangerous that they have caused players on the opposing teams to fall off their brooms. This year, however, Alicia thinks it's far time to use that against them.

At first, the game seems normal. Ravenclaw pulls ahead, but Alicia, Katie, and Angelina keep incredible formation and score regularly. It almost seems like they're about to pull ahead when Alicia can almost feel the atmosphere around them change. One of Ravenclaw's beaters goes directly for her as she soars with the Quaffle in her hands.

He is an inch from her, and Alicia isn't sure about whether or not he'll take the penalty for hitting her, but either way, it doesn't matter because right then, she does the craziest thing she's ever done.

Taking a deep breath, Alicia holds the Quaffle tight and jumps off her broom, right as the Ravenclaw collides with her broom.

For a second, she is weightless. Then, she collides with Angelina and Katie as they hold her, pulling her onto Angelina's broom. Alicia doesn't even have time to exhale as she pulls her hand back and throws the Quaffle right through the goal.

Below them, she can hear screaming but it doesn't matter. Hogwarts will never forget her or Katie or Angelina ever again.

 **…**

 _iv._

When the game ends with a Gryffindor victory, McGonagall is the first to approach her, sighing but also smiling a little too smugly when she thinks nobody is paying attention. "That was very reckless of you, Ms. Spinnet. I am proud of your win, but you will be serving detention with me. Your no doubt co-conspirators will be too. I would like to reiterate my pride in you."

"But, Professor, I've never had a detention!" Katie whines. Alicia rolls her eyes at the obvious lie, but she cannot stop herself from beaming as she watches Katie tease the Professor. Beside her, Angelina is smiling softly as she wraps her arms around Katie.

Taking a deep breath, Alicia pushes her doubts out of her head as she leans forward and pulls Katie towards her, pressing their lips together. Katie yelps in shock before leaning in and molding them into a passionate kiss. Alicia can hear wolf-whistling behind them, but it not longer matters.

Alicia pulls away from Katie and kisses Angelina instead. McGonagall huffs from beside them in disapproval of their public indecency, but Alicia chooses to ride her adrenaline high and savour the softness of Angelina's kiss.

When she lets go, Katie and Angelina are holding hands. Alicia doesn't even pretend to be shocked at that development or their overall lack of surprise.

"Make that two detentions, Professor," she says, and then, looking back at Angelina and Katie, changes her mind. "Or three."

Leaning in for the second time, Alicia stops counting the number of detentions she earns. They have always been destined to make history, and sometimes, that comes with a price.

 **...**

 **Written for:**

Sewing 101: Quidditch Pitch, Flying, No Slytherins

Character Appreciation: 6. [House] Gryffindor

Disney Challenge: Friendship - /alt/ Write about making your first friend.

Dark Lady's Diabolical Characters: Write about an unexpected use for something.

Count Your Buttons: "But, Professor, I've never had a detention!"

Lyric Alley: Heavy as a feather when you hit the dirt

Ami's Audio Admirations: The Biggest Room — Write about a character doing something unbelievable.

Sophie's Shelf: 20. Katie/Alicia

Angel's Arcade: (trait) charming, (color) peach, (object) brown goggles

Lo's Lowdown: Appa - Alt: plot point: flying

Film Festival: Dialogue: "How ya doin'?" / "Good, how are you?" / "Just trying not to stare.", Dialogue: "You're prettier than I am."

Women's History: Task Seven: Write about a female Quidditch player performing an amazing athletic feat.

Back To School: (location) Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch

Feline Fair: Havana Brown: Write about an athlete

Supernatural Day: -Harpy- Write about Quidditch


End file.
